Telemetric devices and methods of dynamic transmission frequency

Abstract

A method of operating a battery powered telemetric device configured with a processor, a sensor to measure data to indicate the contents or usage of a product within an asset generating sample data, data storage, at least one battery and a transmitter, includes keeping in the data storage at least one instance of previous data samples represented in a previously transmitted packet, awakening the telemetric device at variable time intervals programmed according to pre-determined user-defined characteristics so that the sensor provides sample data to the data storage to indicate the contents or usage of the product within the asset wherein the telemetric device is otherwise asleep to minimize battery drain, storing all the sample data since the transmission of the previously transmitted packet and the kept at least one instance of previous data samples represented in the previously transmitted packet in the data storage as all the stored sample data, transmitting a packet including representations of the contents or usage of the product within in the asset of all the stored sample data in a manner to limit the number of transmissions to as few as possible unless: the stored sample data indicates changes in the contents or usage of the product within the asset are equal to or exceed a predetermined change value; or there has been no change in the contents or usage of the product within the asset over a prolonged period of time.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A battery powered telemetric device associated with an asset, comprising:
 a sensor configured to obtain a data sample indicative of a level or usage of a product within the asset; 
 at least one battery; 
 a wireless transmitter configured to transmit to a remote device; 
 data storage, wherein the data storage stores a predetermined change value threshold and at least a previously transmitted data sample, wherein the previously transmitted data sample, or a representation thereof, has been included in a previous transmission to the remote device; 
 at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the battery powered telemetric device to:
 obtain a current data sample from the sensor, wherein the current data sample indicates a current level or current usage of the product within the asset; 
 determine a current change value using the current data sample and the previously transmitted data sample stored in the data storage; 
 compare the current change value to the predetermined change value threshold; 
 when the current change value exceeds the predetermined change value threshold, determine to transmit one or more of the current data sample, the current change value, or an interpretation of the current data sample, to the remote server; and 
 when the current change value fails to exceed the predetermined change value threshold, determine to store the current change value and/or the current data sample in the data storage without a transmission thereof to the remote server. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The battery powered telemetric device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the battery powered telemetric device to:
 after transmitting and/or storing the current change value, enter a sleep mode for a predetermined time interval, wherein the predetermined time interval is a fixed time interval or a variable time interval; and 
 enter a wake mode upon expiration of the predetermined time interval and obtain a next current data sample from the sensor. 
 
     
     
       3. The battery powered telemetric device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the battery powered telemetric device to:
 when the current change value fails to exceed the predetermined change value threshold but no data samples have been transmitted to the remote device for a predetermined period of time, determine to transmit one or more of the current data sample, the current change value, or a representation of the current data sample or the current change value, to the remote server. 
 
     
     
       4. The battery powered telemetric device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the battery powered telemetric device to:
 in response to transmission of the one or more of the current data sample, the current change value, or a representation of the current data sample or the current change value, to the remote server, store a value of the current change value as a new value of the previously transmitted data sample in the data storage. 
 
     
     
       5. The battery powered telemetric device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a sealed housing, wherein the sealed housing encloses at least the one battery, the transmitter, the data storage, and the at least one processor; and 
 an interface for attachment to the asset. 
 
     
     
       6. The battery powered telemetric device of  claim 1 , wherein the asset includes a vessel or tank; and
 wherein the product is at least one of a: liquefied gas fuel, liquefied ammonia, cryogenic liquid, water, solution, liquid chemical, or refined petroleum product; and 
 wherein the sensor includes a liquid-level sensor. 
 
     
     
       7. The battery powered telemetric device of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined change value threshold is determined using historical indication data of a change per day in the level or the usage of the product. 
     
     
       8. The battery powered telemetric device of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined change value threshold is dynamic and changes in response to one or more ambient variables, wherein the one or more ambient variables includes at least temperature. 
     
     
       9. The battery powered telemetric device of  claim 1 , wherein the previously transmitted data sample stored in the data storage includes at least one of: raw sensor data or an interpretation of the raw sensor data. 
     
     
       10. A method of a battery powered telemetric device, wherein the battery powered telemetric device is associated with an asset, comprising:
 storing a predetermined change value threshold and at least a previously transmitted data sample, wherein the previously transmitted data sample, or an interpretation thereof, has been included in a previous transmission to the remote device; 
 for each of a plurality of subsequent data samples:
 obtaining at a predetermined time interval, a current one of the plurality of subsequent data samples, wherein the current one of the plurality of subsequent data samples indicates a current level or current usage of the product within the asset; 
 determining a current change value using the current one of the plurality of subsequent data samples and the previously transmitted data sample stored in the data storage; 
 comparing the current change value to the predetermined change value threshold; 
 when the current change value exceeds the predetermined change value threshold, determining to transmit the current one of the plurality of subsequent data samples, or an interpretation of the current one of the plurality of subsequent data samples, to the remote server; and 
 when the current one of the plurality of subsequent data samples fails to exceed the predetermined change value threshold, determining to not transmit the current one of the plurality of subsequent data samples to the remote server. 
 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 when the current one of the plurality of subsequent data samples fails to exceed the predetermined change value threshold, determining to store the current one of the plurality of subsequent data samples in the data storage. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 after transmitting and/or storing the current one of the plurality of subsequent data samples, entering a sleep mode for a predetermined time interval, wherein the predetermined time interval is a fixed time interval or a variable time interval; and 
 entering a wake mode upon expiration of the predetermined time interval and obtain a next current data sample from the sensor. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 when the current change value fails to exceed the predetermined change value threshold but none of the plurality of subsequent data samples have been transmitted to the remote device for a predetermined period of time, determining to transmit the current one of the plurality of subsequent data samples, or an interpretation of the current one of the plurality of subsequent data samples, to the remote server. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 in response to determining to transmit the current one of the plurality of subsequent data samples, or the interpretation of the current one of the plurality of subsequent data samples, to the remote server, storing a value of the current one of the plurality of subsequent data samples as a new value of the previously transmitted data sample in the data storage. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 comparing at least two consecutive change values to a predetermined excess usage threshold; 
 determining that each of the at least two consecutive change values exceed the predetermined excess usage threshold; and 
 generating an excess usage alarm. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the interpretation of the current one of the plurality of subsequent data samples includes a percentage difference between the current one of the plurality of subsequent data samples and the previously transmitted data sample stored in the data storage. 
     
     
       17. A telemetric device associated with an asset, comprising:
 a sensor configured to obtain a data sample that indicates a level or usage of a product within the asset; 
 at least one battery; 
 a wireless transmitter configured to transmit to a remote device; 
 a data storage, wherein the data storage stores at least one predetermined change value threshold and at least a previously transmitted data sample, wherein the previously transmitted data sample, or a representation thereof, has been included in a previous transmission to the remote device; 
 at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the telemetric device to: 
 for each of a plurality of consecutive data samples:
 obtaining at a predetermined time interval, a current one of the plurality of consecutive data samples, wherein the current one of the plurality of consecutive data samples indicates a current level or current usage of the product within the asset; 
 determining a current change value using at least the previously transmitted data sample stored in the data storage and the current one of the plurality of consecutive data samples; 
 comparing the current change value to the predetermined change value threshold; 
 when the current change value exceeds the predetermined change value threshold, determining to transmit the current one of the plurality of consecutive data samples, the current change value, or an interpretation of the current one of the plurality of consecutive data samples, to the remote server; and 
 when the current one of the plurality of subsequent data samples fails to exceed the predetermined change value threshold, determine to store the current change value and/or the current one of the plurality of consecutive data samples in the data storage without a transmission thereof to the remote server. 
 
 
     
     
       18. The telemetric device of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the battery powered telemetric device to:
 in response to transmission of the current one of the plurality of consecutive data samples, the current change value, or an interpretation of the current one of the plurality of consecutive data samples, to the remote server, store a value of the current change value as a new value of the previously transmitted data sample in the data storage. 
 
     
     
       19. The telemetric device of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 a sealed housing, wherein the sealed housing encloses at least the one battery, the transmitter, the data storage, and the at least one processor; and 
 an interface for attachment to the asset. 
 
     
     
       20. The telemetric device of  claim 17 , wherein the asset includes a vessel or tank;
 wherein the product is at least one of a: liquefied gas fuel, liquefied ammonia, cryogenic liquid, water, solution, liquid chemical, or refined petroleum product; and 
 wherein the sensor includes a liquid-level sensor.